


Butterfly's flight

by Shinigamibutter



Series: Tattooed Souls [5]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Science, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tattoos, Tokyo Ghoul References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 04:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20090938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinigamibutter/pseuds/Shinigamibutter
Summary: Changkyun wakes up to butterflies, the mark of his soulmate. He can't understand them, but he wants to.





	Butterfly's flight

**Author's Note:**

> I uh...am weak. There are Tokyo Ghoul references because of this....

Changkyun groaned as he roused himself from sleep, rather unwillingly. But someone had to turn his alarm off and he lived alone so it had to be him. Even if it meant waking up and doing it himself, and begrudgingly acknowledging the fact he'd get no more sleep for the day. A horrible start to any morning really, but worse yet as he'd only gotten three hours the night before due to studying. Mornings like this were what made him want to quit college. 

He couldn't, wouldn't but the thought of doing so made finals more bearable. That and the thought that he was only a few more extra curricular activities away from experience credits towards his dream job. Maybe. If they didn't change the requirements, again. Those thoughts slipped away just as quickly as his waking dreams as he reached over towards his alarm clock. A traditional one with bells, a retro gift bestowed upon him by his best friend, Jooheon, a few years ago. It had seen better days thanks to his morning clumsiness. 

This morning it teetered on the edge of his night stand from his being heavy handed. He couldn't help blinking at it as it silenced, bleary morning vision hindering him from seeing the time. Which despite having set it for, he wouldn't be assured of until he actually saw it with his own eyes. When the numbers finally narrowed down he could see the clock hands pointing with short on seven and the long on twelve. Right on time. His final was in three hours. Just enough time to review his scribbled notes and snag breakfast. 

At least that's what he would have done if it weren't for the sudden realization that there was a mark on his arm that hadn't been there when he went to sleep. It took a lot longer staring at the colorful smudges on his arm than the alarm clock to decipher what they actually were. Though that didn't really make sense to him either as he continued to stare at his outstretched arm. Now counting the smudges, turned butterflies under scrutiny, parading diagonally across his forearm. There were five and upon closer inspection it looked like a singular butterfly flying across what had been empty space.

The discovery had him moving slower, to ensure his shock didn't knock off his alarm clock. It had survived a lot but he wasn't willing to push his luck this far from payday. Otherwise he'd have to rely on his phone to wake him up and that he knew wasn't going to get the job done. It was a lesson, among many, he'd learned the hard way. The slow movement of his arm only served to show him the butterfly now on his arm looked like it was flying towards him. Vaguely he wondered what kind of butterfly it was as he pulled his arm closer.

It wasn't something easy to identify without his wits about him was what he finally decided. His brain still mulling over what he knew the butterfly's flight being there even meant. Glancing at the clock the longest skinny arm had already moved several places ahead. Sighing he forced himself back into routine. There wasn't exactly time in his schedule for pondering over it any longer than he had already. Thinking about it wasn't going to make it disappear. Actually, he knew like the rest of the population knew there was nothing that would make the butterfly's flight disappear. 

He did allow himself to spare the butterfly's flight a thought in the shower, scrubbing over it with soap. It wouldn't wash away, but he'd known that. After all it was a mark on his soul not his body. The mark of his soulmate's first tattoo, transferred through their soul bond so that one day, if he were lucky enough to do so, he'd run into its mate. He also spared time enough to wonder why a butterfly, why his soulmate would choose something so delicate. Something so fragile. 

It wasn't until after his final he realized the butterfly was a monarch. 

*◇*◇*◇*

Opening and closing his hands around the long sleeves of his hoodie Changkyun murmured to himself, small encouragements. He'd been waiting by the phone all day. Well not all day, just about an hour but it had been a long tense hour where he hadn't used his cellphone at all. In which he'd pretended to read, and mostly stared at the clock. If Jooheon, his best friend and staunchest supporter, had seen him like that he'd have been slapped. But Jooheon was miles away. Back in college. 

While Changkyun, the newly graduated, near top of his class, was waiting on a phone call that could potentially decide his life. It was a scheduled phone call that would inform him if he'd gotten the job of his dreams or not. And he was seriously, seriously hoping he'd got it. Though he knew that there was less competition in his chosen field actual acceptance into it was stricter for that reason. Because those in his field were, in some places in high demand, most commonly in the United States. Which was not where he'd applied, yet. 

He wanted more experience before he tried to break into that particular job market. Thinking about it had made him drift off for a moment and caused him to jump when his ringtone sounded. It was already half way through the first verse of the Tokyo Ghoul theme song when he picked up. The voice on the other line was friendly and he hoped it was a good sign. But he knew that a friendly voice didn't really correlate to the words spoken in the same way tone did. Once he'd witnessed the most beautiful man he'd ever seen use the friendliest, softest voice to tell his boyfriend to eviscerate himself. It had changed him. 

Of course the beautiful man had used a serious tone and sounded a lot less robotic than the woman on the phone. Who he only registered as not a recording once she reached the part in her script with his name. Which she'd fumbled and apologized for. The fact they were calling him back with a fancy secretary phone system made his heart race. He really, truly wanted this job. And he forced himself to hear over the rapid beating as she listed a few minor details about the secondary interview that would come after regardless of if he got the position. 

He listened, wishing she'd just get on with it as she told him this interview was for a supplementary job if he was accepted. Or a job he could apply for on its own. Something to do with a field he wasn't that interested in, entomology. Though he supposed it wouldn't hurt to take it and maybe he'd get a clue on why his soulmate had chosen butterflies for his first tattoo. The thought was fleeting though as he was transferred to the man of the hour, his hopefully new boss. Who thankfully didn't take his time telling him what he wanted to know. 

He'd gotten the job. And as a bonus he'd be working closely with an entomologist in his new position as blood analyst. Mostly, according to the boss man they'd be working on cases separately. But Changkyun didn't really care about that. He'd gotten the job he'd been dreaming of, and if he were lucky a clue to his soulmate. A win-win. 

*◇*◇*◇*

A win-win. Changkyun found himself scoffing at the idea he'd ever thought that within less than a month. The entomologist, Kihyun, was not a winning personality, if anything Changkyun found him insufferable with his know-it-all attitude in the lab. With constant reminders of safety and a peculiarly particular placement of everything that came out every time he opened his mouth in the lab. It was more than fairly obvious he'd never had to share a lab in the capacity he now was with Changkyun.

Still, those were the minor issues by comparison to how irritating it was for Changkyun to be absolutely irritated at Kihyun and know the guy was right. Because he was. Kihyun, the entomologist was rarely, if ever wrong when it came to things in the lab. Including the peculiar placements he had for everything, which of course made sense knowing Kihyun had worked there for a year alone. But it still drove Changkyun to wanting to rip his hair out when Kihyun 'reminded' him where to put the bunsen burner for the fourth time. 

That had been just today, and when he'd done as Kihyun said, moving the burner and his personal project with him, the other had smiled at him. Not just any smile though, but a patented Mom smile. It had only served to make him feel patronized and fluster him for reasons he didn't want to think about then. He didn't really want to think about them now as he stepped through his door, the smell of stale coffee greeting his nose while the sight of his obvious bachelor pad greeted his eyes. Vaguely he thought about cleaning.

More clearly he thought about Kihyun's patronizing Mom smile. Admittedly he'd been thinking about it a lot. Too much. And to himself he admitted that maybe that was the most irritating thing about working with Kihyun. The fact that even though work was long over Changkyun was still thinking about it. Something that had never happened before Kihyun. Though this wasn't a bad thing as it had helped him solve a few more conundrums than he'd done before. Still, he was off work and didn't want to think about work. 

Forgetting about work was easy enough as he put his mind to the task of feeding his grumbling belly. There was a strict break schedule at work and not enough time to grab or order food. Which meant he was always making enough for leftovers to take for lunch. Idly he wondered what Kihyun did for food before chastising himself. Because it didn't matter if it looked like Kihyun wasn't eating. It wasn't his business. Glancing at the clock he wondered if Kihyun had even left the lab yet. He'd been working on a different project, something delicate. 

It was easier to stop thinking about Kihyun or why he shouldn't be thinking about Kihyun when he turned on the news. Letting the noise roll him in and under, his body moving on auto pilot around his kitchen. Straight into his nightly routine of checking up with Jooheon, who was still miles away working on his thesis. And then into the relaxing books he'd picked up to fill his time with until he'd settled into a better routine that wasn't forthcoming. 

Though these days it seemed like the new routine was trying not to think about Kihyun and failing. Because his thoughts were drifting back to his co-worker again at the mention of beetles in his light reading. A science journal, a reputable one that his father had gotten an article published in. He'd picked it up to read a few days ago but there were so many interesting articles he'd decided to take his time on it. And it seemed that as soon as he was a few paragraphs in he'd recall something from another article or something Kihyun had said. It didn't matter which it circled back to Kihyun.

Even when he was browsing online, enjoying his social media, or just doing anything really it seemed to circle back to Kihyun. Just like now which made Changkyun groan as he put the journal down. He obviously wasn't really reading it, hadn't really absorbed any information from anything not Kihyun related in a week. And to himself he wondered what it all meant. And if he should ask Jooheon about it instead of rewatching Tokyo Ghoul episodes equating Kihyun to Tsukiyama because they both had purple hair.

In the back of his mind where he knew what was going on, and didn't want to acknowledge it, he knew even if not canonically Tsukiyama and Kaneki were A thing. And he most definitely identified with Kaneki. 

*◇*◇*◇*

Two months. Changkyun blinked at the calendar flipping over the previous month so he could write in his schedule. It was hard to believe that much time had passed since he'd acquired and started working his dream job. Granted workwise it had felt a whole lot longer. Even this new month he was squeezing in so many backlogged tests to do already. And those weren't even the ones he'd be working on with Kihyun. Though he had a list of those next to him as well. It was his personal calendar and no matter what Kihyun said he was going to organize it by color.

Kihyun kept his schedule with black ink, tiny writing, and with maybe a little too much enthusiasm. This was something Changkyun was willing to admit was endearing in its methodical nature. Or maybe he was being gracious because Kihyun had finally settled down with his presence in the lab. Had finally stopped absently reminding him of safety procedures, as if he didn't know them, and no longer told him where to put something. Unless he asked, which he did sometimes just to see Kihyun's Mom smile. 

Changkyun still refused to think about why he did though. Instead he just did it, including now as Kihyun returned from his lunchbreak early. Idly he wondered if the other even had time to eat. But he didn't ask that instead focusing on returning the items he rarely used but still knew where to store without asking. Kihyun didn't comment on that though instead just smiling and going back to his own work. It was a few minutes later that Changkyun remembered there was a question he had for Kihyun. Had had for awhile. 

Yet, he hesitated the mark under his lab coat and long sleeves weighing on his mind. He'd almost forgotten about it as he rarely saw it in his lab clothes. And the last time he'd gone out with Jooheon the weather hadn't been good enough for short sleeves. That had been sometime last week. Still he wasn't sure how he could forget something so potentially life changing. But then he was looking at Kihyun, who was seriously intent on the sample in front of him. Working diligently to the point Changkyun wondered if he had a life. Not that he himself had room to talk in that regard. 

"Tell me about monarch butterflies." The words were sudden and maybe ill timed from the way Kihyun jumped, clattering his samples together as he turned. Changkyun hoped they weren't unsalvageable. Kihyun though didn't seem to notice his slip up, instead staring at him with wide, wide eyes. His mouth was slightly open and unconsciously Changkyun licked his lips. Kihyun snapped his mouth shut but didn't move for what felt like a whole minute. Scrutinizing him before he let out a sigh and looked back at his work. 

For a moment Changkyun didn't think he'd get an answer. "What's the sudden interest?" Kihyun's voice was tight and controlled. Unlike any tone that Changkyun had heard from it before and he'd once broken a complete vial set. He also noticed there was a tightness in Kihyun's shoulders that was usually only there when he was working on a hard problem. Changkyun couldn't think of anything that should warrant such a reaction. 

"It's not sudden I've been meaning to ask you for awhile." Changkyun shrugged his answer and watched Kihyun's shoulders tense further. He wondered if he shouldn't have asked, he wondered why the question would seem to make Kihyun, insufferable, obsessive, anal control freak Kihyun seem out of place in the lab. His body still and obviously not working was something Changkyun had never seen in lab. And even out of the lab he'd only seen a confident and self assured Kihyun. This wasn't the Kihyun he knew. 

Kihyun had paused a long moment before asking yet another question. "Why?" The one question Changkyun wasn't sure he wanted to answer. Even though he'd started to get along with Kihyun and maybe couldn't stop thinking about him, they weren't close. And so far he'd only told Jooheon about the marks. After all they were personal. Yet, this was Kihyun the man who smiled at him everyday for two months and didn't chastise him too much when he was clumsy. And recently they'd even started talking, a little, about things that weren't work related. 

With more courage than he normally felt he had Changkyun was honest. "I have a soul mark, it's a monarch butterfly in flight and I want to know more about them. To understand my soulmate, to understand why they got something so delicate." Watching Kihyun's shoulders tense and untense for a few seconds Changkyun wondered if he'd been too honest. Too open. After all, what did he know about his soulmate other than that they existed. 

Finally Kihyun's shoulders untensed and he began speaking. Slowly, and Changkyun had to wonder why as he did so Kihyun began removing his lab coat. "Monarchs aren't delicate in the way you think. Actually of the many butterfly species they're quite hardy." Changkyun swallowed as Kihyun turned to look at him, his eyes determined and steady on Changkyun's own. It was suddenly too hot in the lab as Kihyun unbuttoned his cuff and began rolling up his sleeve. "Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles to return to their mating site. With tattered wings they go on just to find it."

Changkyun found himself swallowing thickly. In the corner of his eye he could see Kihyun's hand working on his sleeve. But he couldn't look away from his eyes. Not yet. And he hoped Kihyun's own eyes were really that steady as he felt blood spiralling lower to places it didn't belong. To places he didn't want to acknowledge. The words were sinking in to places they shouldn't either as Kihyun went on. "The flight of the monarchs is one of the most beautiful, and least delicate tattoos one can have." 

Kihyun's sleeve was up to his elbow and Changkyun glanced at it expecting to see a butterfly tattoo, obviously. What he saw was the twin, the original of his own. His jaw dropped when he realized, his eyes tracing details across the room he knew better than the backs of his own hands. Which was saying something with how often he examined them for contaminants. He looked back up at Kihyun's face, a face so handsome it hurt him to think about it, and there was a smile there. A bit insecure and endearing to the point Changkyun thought his heart would burst. 

"I think I get it." Changkyun smiled back, and he doubted Kihyun got it as he started to roll his sleeve down. "Wait." Before even thinking Changkyun was there stopping him, shedding his own lab coat and hurriedly rolling up his own sleeve. "Kihyun, I think you should know," He trailed off holding his arm up to Kihyun's face. He was once more faced with wide, wide eyes as he put his arm and Kihyun's together between them, their forearms touching. It looked like two butterflies were flying up towards their hearts. 

"The flight of the monarchs." Kihyun's words were breathless, a tightness in them that spoke of awe. And Changkyun, his heart beating a mile a moment finally fully realized what that feeling in his chest happened to be when Kihyun gave him the Mom smile. The feeling that had been building up ever since they'd met. And he knew when Kihyun looked up from their arms, at him, that he felt it too. But quietly they put their lab coats back on and went back to work. Just as quietly they left the lab together that night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts appreciated as always. 
> 
> Ah and if you're wondering about their jobs think of the TV series Bones and the Smithsonian. Only you know not American


End file.
